Saturday Reflections: A Different Kind of Progress
Saturday Reflections are an attempt to keep this blog personal, relational, and real. These posts will be thoughts, a recounting of the week, and where I see things going in the weeks to come. Join me and my family on our journey in Jesus.
I would be lying if I didn’t say that this week started out rough. For a combination of reasons, I ended up deeply questioning myself and the things that the Lord has been doing. It was a rough few days of me being locked into self pity, worry, and hurt. In the midst of these couple of days I had a couple of incredible brothers that listened, encouraged, and shared the Gospel with me again. And while that helped, I still hadn’t quite found the resolution I was looking for.
If I’m honest, this rough spot has been coming for a while, brought on by some disconnect from the Lord in an ongoing way. I just hadn’t been living connected to Jesus daily. Sometimes it’s the basics that you think you know where you are the most vulnerable. (Anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall, anyone?) And while I needed the Gospel, and I needed the listening, and I needed the encouragement, I really needed to meet with Jesus.
I can’t pinpoint an exact moment on Monday, but at some point the darkness broke. I had begun to take small steps to get reconnected with Jesus. Just doing those small thing seems to have shed so much light on all the things covered in darkness. The burnout goes away when Jesus becomes much more clear. And in His light we see more light.
Since that time a lot has gone on. We joined with believers in Cedar Rapids for a solemn assembly this week called the Response. At some point I’ll write a bit about house churches, the future of Christianity, and the place of solemn assemblies, because they really will intersect in our future, but that’s for another time. But it was good to participate with the larger body of Christ in Cedar Rapids and it’s great practice in preparation for what the Lord is going to be doing in the near future.
We also dedicated Josh and Alyssa’s new apartment to Jesus with them. It was really a blessing to be with these two. They are going to be a treasure to us as we step up the church planting going on here in our neighborhood. Thursday we got a call from some friends in our house church who stumbled on a family and was able to come alongside and provide them some substantial physical help as well as pray and minister to them. It seems like every day something new pops up that is showing us Jesus is leading and in control of this thing He started.
From my point of view I’ve noticed a couple of things. It’s important for me to stay connected in to Jesus at a significant level. I’m beginning to fight again for that in my every day life. The more I stay connected, the more I see and honestly the more whole I am. Also, Jesus is serious about us embracing an apostolic, missional lifestyle that intersects with lost people who need Him. And He is worth it. And the more we encounter the grace of Jesus and the love that He has for us, the more willing we will be to embrace this apostolic lifestyle He’s called the whole church to. It’s not external progress in numbers or conversions yet, but it’s a different kind of progress. But if we can embrace it, we will see Jesus do amazing things.
The WayBack Machine: July
Some things just get better with age. “The Wayback Machine” posts occur at the end of every month and reference the best posts of that month in years past. My hope is to provide a good jumping on point for readers whTho have never been to Pursuing Glory.
2010
This is my first attempt at poetry here at the blog. I wrote this both as an introduction to who Jesus is for people who don’t know Him. I was also trying to find ways to explore the artistic side of my writing. I hope you enjoy it. ***If you’ve never encountered Jesus or don’t have a relationship with Him, this should be the post you read.***
My Daughter: The Newest Fiery Believer I Know
Earlier in the year Ariel accepted Christ and was baptized. There was an immediate turn in her heart and attitudes. It was fun to watch and these are my thoughts from shortly after the event.
False Prophets, Acts Chapter 2, and Our House Church
I wrote this post in December of 2009, but only got around to posting it July of last year. In my mind this post captures the best of where we were as an organic spiritual family in 2009 and 2010. If you’re wondering what sometimes happens when our house church gathers, this is the post for you.
Much of the church in the Western world is devoid of supernatural power. I wrote this post as I was reading through Visions Beyond the Veil by R.A. Baker. The book has some important insights into our anti-supernatural leanings as a Western Church and I shared some quotes as well as my own thoughts.
2009
This was my first post after coming back from my trip to Ethiopia. If you want a good picture into the heart of a guy who just returned from Africa, this is the post to read. It will be interesting to see what the Lord continues to do with us in Ethiopia in the next year.
2008
I wrote this post about an encounter I had with one of my 50,000 coaches, Dick Speight. Dick helped me see that I was off in my walk with the Lord because I was lacking time in the secret place. I wrote this post as I wrestled with the fact that I should know better than to let communion with the Lord slide.
This post was born out of a trip I took to meet with others who practice meeting as organic churches in Iowa. It centers around the idea that we are quick to believe others have imposed religion on us, but frequently something far more subtle is at work. If you’ve ever struggled with a “religious spirit” you’ll want to read this post.
2007
This blog is me wrestling with whether this blog will be a personal blog (which it started out as) or whether it will be a resource blog about house churches, apostolic Christianity, and revival. I think I’ve settled on it being both, mostly because I’m both and I think about these things a lot. But this gives you a good snapshot into some of my early thoughts on the subject.
“Tell a Little Story…Do a Little Miracle…”
This post represents some of our early thoughts about evangelism that we had as a house church. I still believe these are things we’re called both to see and do, and that stories and miracles have a much bigger part in the spread of the Gospel than most of the Western Church understands.
2006
On Being Me and Where I See Me in Movies
This was my very first post on my blog. I started this blog as a journey into self expression and finding God in the midst of the things I love. I write about some bloggers that were stunningly honest about their lives in their blogs and some movies where I saw myself in some of the characters. Social media has given me a few more outlets to do the every day life sort of posts, but I hope to never loose the honesty and simplicity this post captures.
One of the movies that I saw back then was Akeelah and the Bee. I’ll spare you the synopsis, but a turning point in the movie talked about how Akeelah has 50,000 coaches. I was struck by the fact that many of us neglect the 50,000 coaches God has given us in our lives. This is a phrase I keep coming back to over and over again.
How To Get the Most Out of Pursuing Glory
There are lots of ways to get more out of Pursuing Glory than just stopping back to check for new content every few days. Here are some of the main ways you can join the conversation, learn, and contribute to the conversation we’re having:
Subscribe by Email or RSS
If you’re not particularly technologically inclined, hit the “Email Subscription” button on the sidebar of the blog. If you’re more into computers or you’re daring, you could subscribe to this blog using a feed reader. This link is a great explanation of RSS and Feed Readers. Let’s face it. Life is busy and it’s easy to fall out of the loop. Either of these tricks will help you stay involved in what’s going on.
Comment
We learn more by talking and teaching than we do by listening and reading. So help us learn by sharing your life, your pursuit of Jesus, and what you’ve learned through your experience in the comment section. Click on “Leave a Comment” or “with 1 Comment” or “with [X number of] Comments” at the top of every post to see and leave comments.
Follow Me On Twitter
Twitter is where I post thoughts and quotes that will either become a full post here or is relevant to the topics we discuss here. I’m also planning at least one Twitter/Blog series where one set of unique material will show up in my twitter stream that will correspond with a blog series I’m running here. You can find me on Twitter @traviskolder.
Notes From The Margins
On a somewhat irregular basis I post a blog in my “Notes from the Margin” series. The point of the series is not just what I’m finding in Scripture and what I write, but also what you’re finding in Scripture and what you’re writing about it. If you have a blog, I’d love to see you take this series and do your own. You can check out the guidelines for Notes from the Margins and read examples of the series here and here.
Email Me
I love interacting with readers of the blog. Shoot me an email, say hi, show me the blog you’re writing or tell me about the work you’re doing, tell me what you’d like to see or what you’ve enjoyed so far.
The Wayback Machine: May
Some things just get better with age. “The Wayback Machine” posts occur at the end of every month and reference the best posts of that month in years past. My hope is to provide a good jumping on point for readers who have never been to Pursuing Glory.
2009
Discouragement hits believers and causes them to be confused about the things that are real and important. This post is me reminding myself (and my readers) about the realities that are important to fight for even when things are discouraging. If you want a window into my soul when I’m fighting to stay in the game this is a post you want to check out.
The Five Blogs I Won’t Unsubscribe
Pretty much this blog is exactly what the title describes. I’m an avid blog reader, so I thought I would share with my readers what blogs I most enjoy. Most of these blogs still exist in one form or another and for the most part I would still recommend, if I were to write this post again it would be much different. I also have unsubscribed from one of the blogs on this list, too. I guess we all make mistakes, huh?
2008
This post describes my journey to north-eastern Iowa to meet with other believers who were having more of a regional house church gathering. This was my first attempt at meeting other believers who God has called into a similar lifestyle as us. God also showed me some important insights into the nature of God’s Kingdom and transitioning into simple church realities.
2007
The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers
This was a post that recounts a conversation I had with E.J. about who the desert fathers were and why they are important today. More than anything, it’s a primer into why the devotional practices of silence, solitute, and prayer are essential for the church in this hour.
How To Get the Most Out of Pursuing Glory
There are lots of ways to get more out of Pursuing Glory than just stopping back to check for new content every few days. Here are some of the main ways you can join the conversation, learn, and contribute to the conversation we’re having:
Subscribe by Email or RSS
If you’re not particularly technologically inclined, hit the “Email Subscription” button on the sidebar of the blog. If you’re more into computers or you’re daring, you could subscribe to this blog using a feed reader. This link is a great explanation of RSS and Feed Readers. Let’s face it. Life is busy and it’s easy to fall out of the loop. Either of these tricks will help you stay involved in what’s going on.
Comment
We learn more by talking and teaching than we do by listening and reading. So help us learn by sharing your life, your pursuit of Jesus, and what you’ve learned through your experience in the comment section. Click on “Leave a Comment” or “with 1 Comment” or “with [X number of] Comments” at the top of every post to see and leave comments.
Follow Me On Twitter
Twitter is where I post thoughts and quotes that will either become a full post here or is relevant to the topics we discuss here. I’m also planning at least one Twitter/Blog series where one set of unique material will show up in my twitter stream that will correspond with a blog series I’m running here. You can find me on Twitter @traviskolder.
Notes From The Margins
On a somewhat irregular basis I post a blog in my “Notes from the Margin” series. The point of the series is not just what I’m finding in Scripture and what I write, but also what you’re finding in Scripture and what you’re writing about it. If you have a blog, I’d love to see you take this series and do your own. You can check out the guidelines for Notes from the Margins and read examples of the series here and here.
Email Me
I love interacting with readers of the blog. Shoot me an email, say hi, show me the blog you’re writing or tell me about the work you’re doing, tell me what you’d like to see or what you’ve enjoyed so far.
Cluster Map
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